Would it be fair to describe British cinema as primarily ‘liberal’ Essay Example

popular belief.

Dearden had to make changes to his film in order to make it appealing to audiences. The Monthly Film Bulletin acknowledged this, describing the film as a cleverly disguised thriller. Dearden's decision to disguise the film's intention suggests that there were still limitations on depicting sexuality in British cinema during the 60s, as he did not feel comfortable presenting it openly.

Dearden's portrayal of homosexuality is conservative, as it lacks acceptance and understanding. Instead, he presents it as an incurable condition with negative implications. The sympathy the audience feels for homosexual men is derived from their inability to alter their non-heterosexuality rather than any unfair treatment they face. In fact, one character justifies his sexuality by saying, 'I can't help the way I am. Nature played me a dirty trick.' This implies that homosexuality is inferior to heterosexuality and suggests that homosexual men are unfortunate for not being heterosexual.

The evolution of liberalism since the release of this film in 1961 is intriguing. Dirk Bogarde, who plays a main role in Victim, wrote a letter in 1996 expressing astonishment that this modest film was considered courageous, daring or dangerous to make in today's excessively permissive era. Initially, very few actors approached were willing to participate; most outright declined. Bogarde's statement suggests that while the film was once seen as daring and controversial, it now appears relatively mild and unassuming in its portrayal of sexuality compared to contemporary British cinema and culture. Consequently, I believe that British cinema has increasingly embraced liberal treatment of sexuality, especially during the late 80's and early 90's.

Even though there is some censorship, British cinema remains mostly liberal in its portrayal

of sexuality. However, limitations on public content suggest that it is not entirely liberal.

Compared to other countries, British cinema's portrayal of race and related issues is relatively moderate.

Damien O' Donnell's East is East is a recent British film that effectively explores racial tensions. The movie showcases powerful and unsettling scenes of a father inflicting brutal violence upon his wife and children as he believes they are not adhering to their cultural norms. These distressing moments are intensified when we witness the children watching television calmly after the abusive incident, revealing the visible bruises on their faces.

Compared to recent American cinema, I believe that this is relatively mild. In Tony Kaye's American History X, the issue of race and racism is explicitly explored. The audience is shown incredibly violent scenes of racist brutality. One example is when the main character, Derek Vinyard (played by Edward Norton), kills a member of a black gang in retaliation for an attempted murder on him. The scene is depicted in a disturbingly graphic manner, with Derek shooting the man, forcing him to bite the pavement, and stamping on his head. These scenes are extremely unsettling to watch. Similarly, Mike Newell's Donnie Brasco presents harsh and disturbingly graphic images of racist attacks on a Chinese restaurant.

For several decades, American cinema has been more liberal than British cinema. This can be observed in Brian de Palma's Scarface (1983), where violent scenes are featured prominently. One particular scene stands out, showing Al Pacino's character, a Cuban refugee, using a chainsaw to eliminate an assailant. It is worth noting that this image is explicit and graphic.

During this same period in British cinema, movies considered

violent or controversial were subject to censorship and often banned for public viewing due to their perceived provocative and dangerous nature. A noteworthy example is A Clockwork Orange, a film directed by Stanley Kubrick. Initially released in 1971, it was later removed from British theaters because of its contentious content. The movie has only recently been re-released, which supports my previous claim about the increasing liberalism in British cinema over the past few decades. Kubrick's uneasiness about how a 1970s audience would react to his controversial film contrasts with his lack of reservations about releasing it thirty years later, underscoring the significant progress of British cinema towards greater overall liberalism.

In comparison to other countries, British cinema tends to approach racial issues more subtly and indirectly rather than explicitly. It lacks a film similar to Mathieu Kassovitz's French film La Haine, which portrays the daily lives of three teenagers living in Parisian suburbs. These teenagers, despite being born and raised in France and not technically immigrants, are often referred to as "immigres" due to their religious and ethnic backgrounds. The movie effectively portrays the racial tension in these rough areas by realistically depicting the violent and racist incidents that occur, especially in regards to police brutality.According to film critic Jill Forbes, Kassovitz's film intends to highlight the plight of a generation of young individuals who are compelled to resort to violent actions due to society's unwillingness or inability to acknowledge their predicament. Despite my belief that other countries are more progressive in addressing racial issues, I still believe that even in America, considered one of the most liberal countries in cinema, race remains a prominent concern.

A prime example of this is Halle Berry's historic win as the first black female actress to receive an Oscar for Best Actress in her outstanding performance in Monsters Ball. This significant achievement illustrates the progress made by the American people in pursuit of racial equality. However, the fact that this was a groundbreaking moment in America's approach to race signifies that there is still work to be done in reaching a point where the race of an Oscar winner is no longer a consideration.

Karen Alexander has written a compelling piece titled 'Black British Cinema of the 90's: Going Going Gone' discussing British cinema's treatment of race. She emphasizes that there remains an issue in how black individuals are portrayed, often falling into stereotypes or being portrayed as different. According to Alexander, British cinema hesitates to present black people as fully British. She intriguingly states that until there is a shift towards inclusivity rather than exclusivity on a societal and cultural level, the notion of aspiring to Britishness is at risk. This perspective can be compared to Stuart Hall's 'New Ethnicities' where he also acknowledges and supports Alexander's point about Britishness. However, Hall argues that British cinema is indeed making progress, a viewpoint I concur with.He highlights that nowadays it is no longer possible to approach black politics by simply exchanging the old white subject for a new, essentially good subject. Instead, he suggests that we are starting to contemplate representing a non-coercive and diverse understanding of ethnicity, opposing the dominant and confrontational notion of 'Englishness' that is upheld by Thatcherism, which does not even acknowledge itself as ethnicity due to its hegemonic nature. I

concur with the viewpoint that British cinema is becoming more racially inclusive and open-minded in its treatment of race. This is evident in the greater diversity of Black British films currently being produced and televised, which go beyond exploring racism and the opposition between black and white. I agree with Sarita Malik that these films are complex and multifaceted, not only in terms of their storytelling but also in regard to their genre, style, and film form.The aforementioned films, including Gurinder Chadha's Bhaji on the Beach and Damien O' Donnell's East is East, challenge and dismiss critical discussions that rely on fixed oppositions such as Black versus White, negative versus positive, representative versus unrepresentative, realism versus fantasy, etc.

British cinema has made significant progress in its treatment of race and sexuality in recent decades, although some censorship remains. Overall, it can be affirmed that British cinema is becoming increasingly liberal in these areas.